Cracks in the Spires

27: The Revolutionary Council Convenes

Asken flexed his knees and pushed himself upright again his head breaking the surface of the chilled water of the plunge pool. One of his small pleasures. He drew in a breath and let it out in a sigh of satisfaction. He climbed out of the pool and sat in the shade of his brightly striped umbrella. The heat outside the City was in the mid forties, in here it was a pleasant twenty seven. The intense glare of the strong sunlight was muted to a pleasant glow by the photochromatic glass of the dome. Glass that also produced electricity and six panels of which were in need of urgent maintenance. He made a mental note to check on progress. He dragged his mind away from its ever present preoccupation with the state of the city and back to the the evening ahead. Having the meeting in his own apartment was a calculated risk. Enough people would still be still about in the building in the early evening to ensure the visitors would be seen and commented on. While it was not unheard of, it was a rare event for Asken to hold a social gathering. This one had an odd composition. That would also be noticed. He was sure the news would have spread through the whole of the ARM organisation within twenty four hours.

It was time to step out into the open. There was only so much that could be done in the shadows. The arrest of Vedank and his watchers was the moment they'd broken cover as far as Foran Tesh Vik and Chem Mayoth were concerned. If they did not already know they would soon work out that their plans were being actively opposed. He wondered how often and to whom Vedank had been reporting. That was unimportant, what was important was the conclusion they would draw that the opposition came from him. There was no-one else it could be. Up to now the peculiarities of Esperance's power games had aided him. The fact they operated in two separate compartments between which he, in his capacity as The City Administrator, was the only bridge had meant he could empty the Spires of Elite without it impinging on the consciousness of those engaged in the UpCit power game of climbing to the top of the ladder by any means possible. Their ambition looked no higher than replacing him. Foran and Malf before him had always been too busy with their own games to think anything bubbling away in the lower levels beneath the safety valve that was the Administrator was of any interest whatsoever.

Getting rid of the Elite on a temporary basis was one thing. Keeping them out permanently required getting the top people in the City Administration on his side. Any hint of weakness in his position would tempt them into trying to replace him. That would be fatal since it would allow the elite time to regroup. Everything now had to be done from a position of unassailable strength and members of the two top Elite families attending a meeting in his office should send out the right signal. Stir up all three branches of the City administration to be so busy anticipating trouble from the lower levels and fearful of its consequences for them that they had no time to think about betraying him or his fellow conspirators to Foran or anybody else. He finished his iced cordial and rang for his intern.

Asken looked round the room. Varlon was sitting with Da Norin and Arn. Hemia was standing by herself looking out of the window. Per and Ben were sitting on one of the couches holding hands but trying to be discreet about it. Essy and her partner were sitting on the other also holding hands but not bothering being discreet about it. What conversation there had been was stilted and spasmodic. Pico was making himself scarce in the kitchen ostensibly to see to the snacks but mostly to escape Asken's annoyance. Not only had he subverted his specific instructions but also Janvier, who had replaced Heta on the transport, had refused even to attend the meeting. From the body language and expressions no-one particularly wanted to be there and especially not in the company of the other people in the room. Time to make a few things clear not least the fact that they were all likely to end up dead unless they worked together. He cleared his throat.

"We're here because we all believe that Foran Tesh Vik will destroy the City if he is not prevented."

Hemia swung round "He'll destroy more than that. I wouldn't be in this room with these people and that includes my daughter if I didn't believe he is a danger to more than the City. I'll help you but I want a passage to Denil as soon as possible because I don't think you know what you've taken on. Madmen don't fight with reason, or strategy or tactics. They lash out in fury and they want to destroy completely. They don't care if that damages their own interests. Foran would be happy to see Esperance a smoking heap of rubble because it dared to cross him. Unlike the rest of us the question of how we replace the exports from Esperance that we need to trade with other Cities wouldn't occur to him. We need money for mercenaries to guard those mines in Greenland. We trade with Denil and Kvernstadt as well as Futura. We need seeds and plant expertise from Kvernstadt but so does Futura. Everyone needs flyboat technology and Denil are the experts. Do you see what Foran risks? You wouldn't risk the whole edifice because someone annoyed you, would you Administrator? But then you think rationally. So are you prepared to face a madman?"